Jodhpur

Perhaps nothing symbolizes the royal past of Rajasthan more than Jodhpur. The city has plenty to offer to visitors in the form of a rich heritage, stupendous architecture and delightful hospitality.

Jodhpur, called The Sun City, is also the second largest city of Rajasthan and was founded by the chief of the Rathore Clan - Rao Jodha, in 1459. It is also known as the Blue City, since in the old city area almost all the houses are painted blue.

In olden times, Jodhpur was the capital of Marwar State founded by Jodha Rao. The city is surrounded all over by a high stone wall which has seven different inlets. The most visited sites of Jodhpur are Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Palace. In the Mehrangarh Fort, there is Mehrangarh Palace which is rich with rare latticed work and well-ventilated balconies. And then it has Moti Mahal (the Pearl Palace) with incredible mirror-work and dazzling gold polish worth 80 pounds.

Umaid Palace, a beautiful sandstone edifice now partly occupied by a luxury hotel, is another marvel of architecture. On the Fort, there is also a highly enriched Museum displaying various artifacts reminding of history.

Most comfortable outfit to wear will be loose cotton clothes in summer and heavy woolen clothes to keep you warm in winters. Better to carry a hat or a scarf and drink plenty of water to avoid heat strokes. Also wear comfortable shoes to cover beautiful sight seeing in Jodhpur.

How to reach

By Air: Jodhpur is well connected by flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur. The Jaisalmer Airport is in the cantonment area, and is managed by the Indian Air Force. Ratanada airport is about 6 km from the city.

By Train: Jodhpur is well connected by trains to all the major cities. Some of the popular trains are Jodhpur-Jaipur Intercity Express, Jodhpur-Kota Express, and Jodhpur-Bikaner Passenger. Foreign tourists may seek help from The International Tourist Bureau at the Railway Station.
By Road:
There are frequent deluxe & express buses in every 30 minutes from Jaipur, & regular buses from Udaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Delhi, Jaisalmer & Ahmedabad. The main Bus Stand is situated in the city center.

Climate
Jodhpur has extreme climatic conditions and scanty and erratic rainfall, which averages just 32 cm annually. The summer temperature ranges from 20°C to 49°C while the winter temperature ranges from 5°C to somewhere in the mid twenties.

Tourist attractions in Jodhpur

Umaid Bhawan Palace - The stunning red stone palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh in 20th century with a purpose to give employment to people. The palace has 347 rooms & counted among the finest palaces of India.

Balsamand Palace - The splendid Balsamand Palace was built in 13th century. Located on the banks of Balsamand Lake and just 5 kms away from Jodhpur, the red stone building of Balsamand Palace is as famous as the Lake Palace.

Sardar Samand Palace - Sardar Samand Palace is just 55 kms away from Jodhpur, It was built in 1933 by the Maharaja of Jodhpur Umaid Singh. The palace was once a beautiful hunting lodge and now turned into a heritage resort, situated on the banks of Sararsamand Lake.